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Toronto -- It was Jon Cornish's evening, but he was more about the people who came before him.

For instance, there was former Calgary Stampeder receiver Dave Sapunjis, a two-time winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Player award.

And there was Normie Kwong, the legendary running back whose 56-year-old record for most yards ever gained by a Canadian player Cornish broke this season.

And, yes, there was the man Cornish replaced midway through last season as the Stampeders' feature tailback, Joffrey Reynolds.

Cornish paid tribute to all of them on Thursday night at Koerner Hall on the University of Toronto campus as he went 1-for-2 at the Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards, becoming the first Stamp since Sapunjis in 1995 to win the Most Outstanding Canadian award and then bowing to Toronto Argonauts returner/receiver Chad Owens for the Most Outstanding Player award.

"(Stamps offensive lineman) Dimitri Tsoumpas told me I had big shoes to fill," said Cornish as he spoke to the media following the ceremony. "Joffrey Reynolds is a future hall-of famer and I really didn't understand that I was taking his job. For me, it was just a smooth transition and he didn't make any fuss about it. But reality was that I took his job and didn't really appreciate that fact."

Cornish garnered 54 of the 57 votes cast by members of the Football Reporters of Canada and CFL head coaches for the Outstanding Canadian award, beating out Montreal Alouettes linebacker Shea Emry.

In the MOP voting, Owens took 41 of the 57 votes.

In his first full season as a starter, the 28-year-old New Westminster, B.C., product led the league in rushing with 1,457 yards, breaking Kwong's 56-year-old record for Canadian running backs by 20 yards.

In the process, Cornish also became the first Canadian to win the rushing title since Orville Lee of the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1988.

"It's a tremendous honour, and at this point of my career it's the biggest accolade I've ever received," he said. "I'm thankful to the people who voted, but more so I'm thankful to my teammates. If they hadn't done as well on defence, if they hadn't blocked as well, caught the ball as well, thrown the ball as well as they have, I would not be standing here today."

Cornish posted the seventh-best single-season total in Stampeder franchise history while sharing the league lead with 11 rushing touchdowns with Saskatchewan's Kory Sheets.

Cornish won the league's Canadian Player of the Month award for the final three months of the regular season, and also won seven Canadian Player of the Week awards as well as an Offensive Player of the Week honour.

It's the sixth time a Stampeder has won the award; Sapunjis did it in 1995 and '93, receiver Terry Evanshen won in 1967, defensive back Harvey Wylie in 1962 and offensive lineman Tony Pajaczkowski in 1961.

But there will be no celebrating until after Sunday's Grey Cup, said Cornish.

"Oh, I wouldn't celebrate anyways," he said. "There's one goal in my mind. I have football practice, my playbook, all those things that are more important at this particular time. Now, when Grey Cup is over? That's a different story. Lots of celebrating to be done."

Owens, in his fourth CFL season, set a record for combined yardage in helping lead the Argos into Sunday's game.

"I've got plenty of motivation; I just want to go out there and be the best every time I step on the field," said Owens. "That's why we play. We don't play to be second place."

Other winners announced during the evening included Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Chris Matthews as the Most Outstanding Rookie (beating out B.C. Lions defensive lineman Jabar Westerman), Jovan Olafioye of the B.C. Lions as the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (beating out Josh Bourke of the Montreal Alouettes), Edmonton Eskimos' J.C. Sherritt as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player (beating out Emry and Chris Williams of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player (beating out B.C. returner Tim Brown).

Montreal Alouettes receiver Brian Bratton won the Tom Pate Memorial Award for his leadership on the field and in his community.

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